Presence API for Python SDK

Presence lets you track who is online or offline and store custom state information. Presence shows:

• When a user has joined or left a channel
• How many users are subscribed to a particular channel (occupancy)
• Which channels a user or device is subscribed to
• Presence state associated with these users

Learn more about our Presence feature in the Presence overview.

Request execution and return values

You can decide whether to perform the Python SDK operations synchronously or asynchronously.

• .sync() returns an Envelope object, which has two fields: Envelope.result, whose type differs for each API, and Envelope.status of type PnStatus.

  1pubnub.publish() \
  2    .channel("myChannel") \
  3    .message("Hello from PubNub Python SDK") \
  4    .sync()

• .pn_async(callback) returns None and passes the values of Envelope.result and Envelope.status to a callback you must define beforehand.

  1def my_callback_function(result, status):
  2    print(f'TT: {result.timetoken}, status: {status.category.name}')
  3
  
  4pubnub.publish() \
  5    .channel("myChannel") \
  6    .message("Hello from PubNub Python SDK") \
  7    .pn_async(my_callback_function)

Here now

Requires Presence

This method requires that the Presence add-on is enabled for your key in the Admin Portal.

For information on how to receive presence events and what those events are, refer to Presence Events.

This method returns information about the current state of a channel, including a list of unique user IDs (universally unique identifiers, UUIDs) currently subscribed to the channel and the total occupancy count of the channel.

Cache

This method has a 3-second response cache time.

Method(s)

To call Here Now you can use the following method(s) in the Python SDK:

1pubnub.here_now() \
2    .channels(String|List|Tuple) \
3    .channel_groups(String|List|Tuple) \
4    .include_state(Boolean) \
5    .include_uuids(Boolean) \
6    .limit(Integer) \
7    .offset(Integer)

* required

Parameter	Description
channels Type: String | List | Tuple Default: n/a	The channels to get the here now details.
channel_groups Type: String | List | Tuple Default: n/a	The channel groups to get the here now details. Wildcards are not supported.
include_state Type: Boolean Default: False	If True, the response will include the presence states of the users for channels/channelGroups.
include_uuids Type: Boolean Default: True	If True, the response will include the UUIDs of the connected clients.
limit Type: Integer Default: 1000	Maximum number of occupants to return per channel. Valid range: 0-1000. Use 0 to get occupancy counts without user details.
offset Type: Integer Default: None	Zero-based starting index for pagination. Returns occupants starting from this position in the list. Must be >= 0. Requires limit > 0. Use with limit to paginate through large occupant lists.

Sample code

Get a list of UUIDs subscribed to channel

Reference code

This example is a self-contained code snippet ready to be run. It includes necessary imports and executes methods with console logging. Use it as a reference when working with other examples in this document.

Builder Pattern

1import os
2from pubnub.pnconfiguration import PNConfiguration
3from pubnub.pubnub import PubNub
4

5

6def main():
7    # Configuration for PubNub instance
8    pn_config = PNConfiguration()
9    pn_config.subscribe_key = os.getenv('SUBSCRIBE_KEY', 'demo')
10    pn_config.user_id = os.getenv('USER_ID', 'my_custom_user_id')
11

12    # Initialize PubNub client
13    pubnub = PubNub(pn_config)
14

15    # Get here_now details
16    here_now = pubnub.here_now() \
17        .channels(["my_channel", "demo"]) \
18        .include_uuids(True) \
19        .sync()
20

21    if here_now.status.is_error():
22        print(f"Error: {here_now.status.error}")
23        return
24

25    for channel_data in here_now.result.channels:
26        print("---")
27        print(f"Channel: {channel_data.channel_name}")
28        print(f"Occupancy: {channel_data.occupancy}")
29

30        for occupant in channel_data.occupants:
31            print(f"UUID: {occupant.uuid}, State: {occupant.state}")
32

33

34if __name__ == "__main__":
35    main()
36

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Named Arguments

1import os
2from pubnub.pnconfiguration import PNConfiguration
3from pubnub.pubnub import PubNub
4

5

6def main():
7    # Configuration for PubNub instance
8    pn_config = PNConfiguration()
9    pn_config.subscribe_key = os.getenv('SUBSCRIBE_KEY', 'demo')
10    pn_config.user_id = os.getenv('USER_ID', 'my_custom_user_id')
11

12    # Initialize PubNub client
13    pubnub = PubNub(pn_config)
14

15    # Get here_now details
16    here_now = pubnub.here_now(
17        channels=["my_channel", "demo"],
18        include_uuids=True
19    ).sync()
20

21    if here_now.status.is_error():
22        print(f"Error: {here_now.status.error}")
23        return
24

25    for channel_data in here_now.result.channels:
26        print("---")
27        print(f"Channel: {channel_data.channel_name}")
28        print(f"Occupancy: {channel_data.occupancy}")
29

30        for occupant in channel_data.occupants:
31            print(f"UUID: {occupant.uuid}, State: {occupant.state}")
32

33

34if __name__ == "__main__":
35    main()
36

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Returns

The here_now() operation returns an Envelope which contains the following fields:

Field	Type	Description
result	PNHereNowResult	A detailed object containing the result of the operation.
status	PNStatus	A status object with additional information.

PNHereNowResult

Field	Type	Description
total_channels	Int	Total channels.
total_occupancy	Int	Total occupancy
channels	Dictionary	A dictionary with values of PNHereNowChannelData for each channel.

PNHereNowChannelData

Field	Type	Description
channel_name	String	channel name.
occupancy	Int	occupancy of the channel.
occupants	List	A list of PNHereNowOccupantData.

PNHereNowOccupantData

Field	Type	Description
uuid	String	uuid of the user.
state	Dictionary	state of the user.

Other examples

Returning state

Requires Presence

This method requires that the Presence add-on is enabled for your key in the Admin Portal.

For information on how to receive presence events and what those events are, refer to Presence Events.

1envelope = pubnub.here_now() \
2    .channels("my_channel") \
3    .include_uuids(True) \
4    .include_state(True) \
5    .sync()

Example response

1{
2    total_channels: 1,
3    channels: [{
4        channel_name: "my_channel",
5        occupancy: 1,
6        occupants: [{
7            uuid: "myUuid1"
8            state: {
9                "abcd": {
10                    "age": 15
11                }
12            }
13        }]
14    }],
15    total_occupancy: 1
16}

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Return occupancy only

Requires Presence

This method requires that the Presence add-on is enabled for your key in the Admin Portal.

For information on how to receive presence events and what those events are, refer to Presence Events.

You can return only the occupancy information for a single channel by specifying the channel and setting UUIDs to False:

1envelope = pubnub.here_now() \
2    .channels("my_channel") \
3    .include_uuids(False) \
4    .include_state(False) \
5    .sync()

Example response

1{
2    total_channels: 1,
3    channels: [{
4        channel_name: "my_channel",
5        occupancy: 3,
6        occupants: []
7    }],
8    total_occupancy: 3
9}

Here now for channel groups

1envelope = pubnub.here_now() \
2    .channel_groups(['cg1', 'cg2', 'cg3']) \
3    .include_uuids(True) \
4    .include_state(True) \
5    .sync()

Example response

1{
2    total_channels: 1,
3    channels: [
4        {
5            channel_name: "my_channel",
6            occupancy: 1,
7            occupants: [{
8                uuid: "143r34f34t34fq34q34q3",
9                state: None
10            }]
11        },
12        {
13            occupancy: 1,
14            occupants: [{
15                uuid: "123123234t234f34fq3dq",
16                state: None
17            }]
18        },
19        {
20            occupancy: 1,
21            occupants: [{
22                uuid: "23f34d3f4rq34r34rq23q",
23                state: None
24            }]
25        },
26        {
27            occupancy: 1,
28            occupants: [{
29                uuid: "w34tcw45t45tcw435tww3",
30                state: None
31            }]
32        }
33    ],
34    total_occupancy: 4
35}

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Paginate through occupants

Requires Presence

This method requires that the Presence add-on is enabled for your key in the Admin Portal.

For information on how to receive presence events and what those events are, refer to Presence Events.

You can paginate through large occupant lists using limit and offset:

1# Get first 10 occupants
2envelope = pubnub.here_now() \
3    .channels("my_channel") \
4    .limit(10) \
5    .sync()
6

7# Get next 10 occupants (starting from position 10)
8envelope = pubnub.here_now() \
9    .channels("my_channel") \
10    .limit(10) \
11    .offset(10) \
12    .sync()

Where now

Requires Presence

This method requires that the Presence add-on is enabled for your key in the Admin Portal.

For information on how to receive presence events and what those events are, refer to Presence Events.

This method returns the list of channels a UUID is subscribed to.

Timeout events

If the app restarts (or the page refreshes) within the heartbeat window, no timeout event is generated.

Method(s)

To call where_now() you can use the following method(s) in the Python SDK:

1pubnub.where_now() \
2    .uuid(String)

* required

Parameter	Description
uuid Type: String	uuid to get info on.

Sample code

You simply need to define the uuid and the callback function to be used to send the data to as in the example below.

Get a list of channels a UUID is subscribed to

1envelope = pubnub.where_now().sync()

Returns

The where_now() operation returns an Envelope which contains the following fields:

Field	Type	Description
result	PNWhereNowResult	A detailed object containing the result of the operation.
status	PNStatus	A status object with additional information.

PNWhereNowResult

Field	Type	Description
channels	List	The list of channels where the UUID is present.

Other examples

Obtain information about the current list of channels of some other UUID

Builder Pattern

1envelope = pubnub.where_now() \
2    .uuid('some-other-uuid') \
3    .sync()

Named Arguments

1envelope = pubnub.where_now(uuid='some-other-uuid').sync()

User state

Requires Presence

This method requires that the Presence add-on is enabled for your key in the Admin Portal.

For information on how to receive presence events and what those events are, refer to Presence Events.

Clients can set a dynamic custom state (score, game state, location) for their users on one or more channels and store it on a channel as long as the user stays subscribed.

The state is not persisted, and when the client disconnects, the state data is lost. For more information, refer to Presence State.

Presence state format

Presence state must be expressed as a dict. When calling set_state, be sure to supply an initialized dict which can be serialized.

Method(s)

Set state

1pubnub.set_state() \
2    .channels(String|List|Tuple) \
3    .channel_groups(String|List|Tuple) \
4    .state(Dictionary)

* required

Parameter	Description
channels Type: String | List | Tuple	channels to set state.
channel_groups Type: String | List | Tuple	channel groups to set state.
state Type: Dictionary	state to set.

Get state

1pubnub.get_state() \
2    .channels(String|List|Tuple) \
3    .channel_groups(String|List|Tuple) \
4    .uuid(String)

* required

Parameter	Description
channels Type: String | List | Tuple	channels to get state.
channel_groups Type: String | List | Tuple	channel groups to get state.
uuid Type: String	uuid to get state from.

Sample code

Set state

Builder Pattern

1my_state = {
2    'age': 20
3}
4envelope = pubnub.set_state() \
5    .channels(['ch1', 'ch2', 'ch3']) \
6    .state(my_state) \
7    .sync()

Named Arguments

1envelope = pubnub.set_state(channels=['ch1', 'ch2', 'ch3'], state={'age': 20}).sync()

Get state

Builder Pattern

1envelope = pubnub.get_state() \
2    .channels(['ch1', 'ch2', 'ch3']) \
3    .uuid('such_uuid') \
4    .sync()

Named Arguments

1envelope = pubnub.get_state(channels=['ch1', 'ch2', 'ch3'], uuid='such_uuid').sync()

Returns

The set_state() operation returns an Envelope which contains the following fields:

Field	Type	Description
result	PNSetStateResult	A detailed object containing the result of the operation.
status	PNStatus	A status object with additional information.

PNSetStateResult

Field	Type	Description
state	Dictionary	Dictionary of UUIDs and the user states.

The get_state() operation returns an Envelope which contains the following fields:

Field	Type	Description
result	PNGetStateResult	A detailed object containing the result of the operation.
status	PNStatus	A status object with additional information.

PNGetStateResult

Field	Type	Description
channels	Dictionary	Dictionary of channels and the user states.

Other examples

Set state for channels in channel group

Builder Pattern

1my_state = {
2    'age': 20
3}
4envelope = pubnub.set_state() \
5    .channel_groups(['gr1', 'gr2', 'gr3']) \
6    .state(my_state) \
7    .sync()

Named Arguments

1envelope = pubnub.set_state(channel_groups=['gr1', 'gr2', 'gr3'], state={'age': 20}).sync()

The above code would return the following response to the client:

1{
2    first  : "Robert",
3    last   : "Plant",
4    age    : 59,
5    region : "UK"
6}